Interview and Giveaway: Torque by Charley Descoteaux

Lisa: Hi, Charley, thank you for stopping by on the Torque tour.

Charley: Thank you for having me! It’s lovely to be back.

Lisa: It’s great to have you back. I’m so pleased to have you here with us today.

Let’s start with the getting-to-know you portion of the interview: tell us something about yourself that would surprise people.

Charley: In the 2nd grade I started studying the violin. I became part of my instructor’s Master’s project, something about starting children on stringed instruments at a young age. This was in the early 1970s and at the time it was unusual for kids in the lower grades in public school to take any music classes at all, let alone the challenging string instruments. I passed the test with almost perfect pitch, chose the violin, and fell in love with the instrument. I played everything from Beethoven to the Beatles, anything I could get my hands on, and even spent some time in the high school regional orchestra—all before I moved to the big kids’ side of the playground. Music has always been an important part of my life, and has a huge influence on my writing.

Lisa: Wow, color me impressed that you not only write but play music as well! That’s kind of hogging all the talent. ;-)

Since you’ve chosen to write in the Romance genre, tell readers what romance means to you.

Charley: The little things, like remembering how the other person likes their coffee, or their favorite pizza toppings. Making an effort to bring something special into an ordinary day. It’s easy to make a big deal of Valentine’s Day or an anniversary, the real challenge is making the other person feel special the rest of the time. To me, that’s the true definition of romance.

But I’ve been single longer than some of my readers have been alive, so take that with a hefty grain of salt! *lol*

Lisa: I dunno, I think that’s a pretty great answer.

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing for you?

Charley: Getting started—whether on a new story or for a daily writing session, getting started is the hardest part. Once I get going, though, it’s also difficult to stop!

Lisa: I can only imagine! Stephen King said, “The scariest moment is just before you start.” That’s got to be the ultimate performance anxiety.

Let’s make the jump to your reading rather than your writing. Would you say you buy a book because of the cover, the blurb, or something else?

Charley: For me, it’s a combination of an eye-catching cover, an interesting blurb, and the type of story I’m in the mood for. My favorite sub-genre is contemporary but I also read a lot of sci-fi and paranormal. I’m always up for something new and different, whether it’s an older character or one who identifies as bi, ace, trans or any of the many orientations beyond gay and lesbian. My favorite stories are about characters who are bisexual, and tackle the difficulties bisexuals face in real life. The best is finding a cool story that doesn’t fit the standard search terms, a story I wouldn’t have thought to look for.

Lisa: Charley, thanks again for being here with us today. Would you like to share some info on your current projects?

Charley: Right now I’m working on my Christmas story for 2016, a “.5” novella in the Buchanan House series, featuring the guy from Tiny House who was a nice guy, but not the right guy, for… one of the leads. ;) After that I’ll be on deadline for the next Buchanan House Love Story novel, featuring two recurring characters from the Buchanan House Portland family.  If I’m lucky, I’ll also be editing Book 3 before too long—it’s under consideration with Dreamspinner. *fingers crossed*

Blurb: Sometimes letting things get complicated is the best way to figure it all out.

Mick Randall is on the run, from the biker culture he grew up in and his impossible vision of love. Alaska should be far enough to escape his old life—until he rolls into a wrecking yard and gets lost in a pair of pale, bottle-green eyes.

Scotty Bell has spent years learning to channel his fiery temper into the heat of a welding torch. His sexual heat has always been slower to ignite, but one look at Mick rouses confusion alongside desire. In all his life, he’s only been attracted to one other person—his best friend, Mercy Taylor.

Mick lands a temporary job at the yard, and finds an uneasy crash pad at Scotty’s place…where the ragged ends of his emotions get tangled up in Scotty and Mercy’s relationship.

But when Mick hears a Harley engine from his past bearing down on him, his first instinct is to go back to the half-life he’d been living. Lest his secrets destroy the only two people who’ve ever made him feel whole.

Warning: Contains references to abuse, subversive ideas about sexual identity and gender expression, and a free-range bisexual on a mission.

Buy Links: Samhain || Amazon US || Amazon Int’l || All Romance eBooks

About the Author: Charley Descoteaux misspent a large chunk of her youth on the back of a Harley, meeting people and having adventures that sometimes pop up in her fiction. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area during a drought, and found her true home in the soggy Pacific Northwest. Charley has survived earthquakes, tornadoes and floods, but couldn’t make it through one day without stories.

Where to find the author: Facebook || Facebook Author Page || Twitter || Pinterest || Blog

THE GIVEAWAY

Click on the Rafflecopter widget and enter for the chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Tour Dates and Stops:

23-Feb: Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Book Lovers 4Ever, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Posy Roberts
1-Mar: The Novel Approach, Velvet Panic, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Hearts on Fire
8-Mar: Louise Lyons, Foxylutely Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, the Twins: Talon ps & Princess so, Inked Rainbow Reads
15-Mar: Full Moon Dreaming, Elin Gregory, Alpha Book Club, Bayou Book Junkie
22-Mar: Butterfly-O-Meter, Kirsty Loves Books, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Unquietly Me
29-Mar: Jessie G. Books, QUEERcentric Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Love Bytes
5-Apr: Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Divine Magazine, Prism Book Alliance, Molly Lolly
12-Apr: Nephy Hart, Happily Ever Chapter, MM Good Book Reviews

The Fine Print:

*Entrants must be 18 years or older to qualify
*All comments must be relevant to the author’s prompt to be eligible (when applicable)
*The Novel Approach will not be held liable for prize delivery unless otherwise specified
*Void where prohibited by law